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“Self-incompatibility in the genus Prunus is controlled by two genes at the S-locus, S-RNase and SFB. Both genes exhibit the high polymorphism and high sequence diversity characteristic of plant self-incompatibility systems. Deduced polypeptide sequences of three myrobalan and three domestic plum S-RNases showed over 97% identity with S-RNases from other Prunus BEZ235 order species,

including almond, sweet cherry, Japanese apricot and Japanese plum. The second intron, which is generally highly polymorphic between alleles was also remarkably well conserved within these S-allele pairs. Degenerate consensus primers were developed and used to amplify and sequence the co-adapted polymorphic SFB alleles. Sequence comparisons also indicated high degrees of polypeptide sequence identity between three myrobalan and the three domestic plum SFB alleles and the corresponding Prunus SFB alleles. We discuss these trans-specific allele identities in terms of S-allele function, evolution of new allele specificities and Prunus taxonomy and speciation.”
“Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Findings from preclinical

and clinical studies suggest that psychiatric ATM/ATR inhibitor illnesses, particularly MDD, are associated with inflammatory processes. While it is unlikely that MDD is a primary ‘inflammatory’ disorder, there is now evidence to suggest that inflammation may play a subtle role in the pathophysiology of MDD. Most of the evidence that links inflammation to MDD comes from three observations: (a) one-third of those with major depression show elevated peripheral inflammatory biomarkers, even in the absence of a medical illness; (b) inflammatory illnesses are associated with greater rates of MDD; and (c) patients treated with cytokines

are at greater risk of developing major depressive illness. We now know that the brain is not an immune privileged organ. Inflammatory mediators have been found to affect various check details substrates thought to be important in the aetiopathogenesis of MDD, including altered monoamine and glutamate neurotransmission, glucocorticoid receptor resistance and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. At a higher level, inflammation is thought to affect brain signalling patterns, cognition and the production of a constellation of symptoms, termed ‘sickness behaviour’. Inflammation may therefore play a role in the aetiology of depression, at least in a ‘cohort’ of vulnerable individuals. Inflammation may not only act as a precipitating factor that pushes a person into depression but also a perpetuating factor that may pose an obstacle to recovery. More importantly, inflammatory markers may aid in the diagnosis and prediction of treatment response, leading to the possibility of tailored treatments, thereby allowing stratification of what remains a heterogenous disorder.